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Cleveland Indians' Carlos Carrasco hosting book drive to benefit Cleveland schools, libraries

Posted at 11:56 AM, Jun 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-22 09:07:00-04

The Cleveland Indians hope to bring home a win during Wednesday's game against the Dodgers. For pitcher Carlos Carrasco, the game is also a way to bring resources to local schools and libraries. 

Carrasco partnered with United Way to host the second annual 'Stuff the Bus' book drive at Progressive Field on Wednesday. 

United Way staff members will be at all Progressive Field gates collecting new and gently used children's books from the kindergarten to eighth grade reading levels. RTA will have a bus parked at Gateway Plaza, in hopes of the bus being stuffed with books by the end of the game.

All donations will be sorted and distributed to local schools and libraries in the Cleveland area. 

Carrasco and the United Way aim to collect more than 20,000 books during the donation drive to benefit the Cleveland Community, a goal which may be achieved through increased attendance at games. 

According to the Cleveland Indians, attendance is up 43% over the first 26 home games, with the team drawing more than 550,000 fans over 26 games - an average of 21,154 attendees per game. 

Last year's 'Stuff the Bus' book drive collected 12,500 books, according to the Carlos Carrasco Foundation, the player's nonprofit organization that focuses on enriching childhood education. 

The book drive is part of United Way's nationa Day of Action. Chapters from across the country encourage their communities to take action to address a variety of challenges, including advancements in education, financial stability, health and basic needs. 

Wednesday's game is the second in a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. The team will finish the series on Thursday during an afternoon game starting at 12:10 p.m.